This is small excerpt from a great book called “Awake In The World” by one of my most influential teachers Michael Stone. He is a Dharma Teacher based out of my city of Toronto, On, Canada.

Here is the full excerpt:

“I WAS WALKING through Union Square Farmers Market this morning, amazed at the number of birds flying overhead. The farmers were sipping on warm apple cider, and I stopped to speak to them about the market and comment on the birds. Coming out of the subway, I didn’t even notice the birds until I saw two men sitting in the back of their truck watching the circling birds as they creased the sky overhead. When the whole body is listening and speaking, we forget about ourselves. When I was listening to the two men talk about the way the birds don’t show until ten o’clock in the morning, I caught the clock in the distance and realized if I didn’t get going I’d be late for the workshop. Losing track of time, forgetting about ourselves, and paying attention to what is near in each moment conspire to open us to what is. And sometimes we might be surprised at what shows up. The birds circle overhead, the winter gives way to spring, and New York City is waking up at dawn.”

The other words that stand out to me are,

“Losing track of time, forgetting about ourselves, and paying attention to what is near in each moment conspire to open us to what is.”

In our Yoga Practice today we set the intention to let the physical work be fully alive. To let the Inhale Speak to our strength and to let the exhale listen to that strength. In the context of our Asana practice, this statement of forgetting ourselves is so powerful.

When the whole body is listening and speaking in the physical practice we forget ourselves in terms of how are thoughts limit us. We forget our comparison mind, our judgement mind and simply trust our roots…trust our organic strength.

The other thing I mentioned in class is the power this teaching has to connect us deeply to those around us. When we 'forget about ourselves' we are dropping ego and this gives us an opening to connect with people more authentically.